The Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk Open For Pedestrians

Officials opened the Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk on Thursday, a new part of the popular trail that used to end near Locust Street. Now, it takes a turn into the river and then parallels the shore for four blocks before it comes back to land, near the South Street Bridge.

The concrete pathway gives visitors a sensation of having water on both sides, said Joseph Syrnick, president and CEO of the Schuylkill River Development Corp.

“You feel like you’re on the river. This becomes a destination spot.”

The $18 million structure is a small but crucial link in what hopes to be a 130-mile trail from Schuylkill County to Philadelphia. About 60 miles of the trail are finished, according to the Schuylkill River Trail Association.

Within minutes of Thursday’s ribbon cutting, hundreds of people took advantage of the trail’s nearly half-mile extension.